Tulsi Gabbard hails Trump’s 'flawless execution' in Venezuela operation

WASHINGTON, DC: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, on Tuesday, January 6, praised the US military for the successful capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, marking a significant shift from her previous anti-interventionist stance. 

Despite her past warnings that military action in the region would be a "disaster," Gabbard now credits the "flawless execution" of the operation to President Trump’s commitment to national security.

Tulsi Gabbard praises 'flawless' execution of Trump's military order

The Director of National Intelligence took to social media to express her full support for the military action, highlighting a change in her political views since joining the Trump administration. 

In her post on X, Gabbard wrote, "President Trump promised the American people he would secure our borders, confront n************m, dangerous d**g cartels, and d**g t*********s. Kudos to our servicemen and women and intelligence operators for their flawless execution of President Trump’s order to deliver on his promise thru Operation Absolute Resolve." 

This approval stands in stark contrast to her 2019 position as a progressive Democrat, when she vocally opposed any military interference in Venezuelan affairs.

Former critic Tulsi Gabbard now backs strategic Venezuela strike

Back in 2019, Gabbard was one of the loudest critics of the first Trump administration’s approach to South America, specifically targeting what she called "increased saber rattling and tensions" with Venezuela. 

During an appearance on Fox News at the time, she argued that "pushing for this civil war, pushing for the use of military force, will only end up with more suffering and death and disaster for the Venezuelan people."  

Trump’s foreign policy under fire after Maduro's capture

The capture of Maduro has sparked a heated debate regarding Trump’s campaign pledge to avoid foreign wars and regime changes. 

Just this past October, Gabbard praised Trump for moving away from the "old Washington way of thinking," stating that "For decades, our foreign policy has been trapped in a counterproductive and endless cycle of regime change or nation-building. It was a one-size-fits-all approach of toppling regimes, trying to impose our system of governance on others, intervening in conflicts that were barely understood, and walking away with more enemies than allies."

While critics argue this mission violates the "no new wars" doctrine, Republican leaders like House Speaker Mike Johnson have rejected the "regime change" label, pointing to the fact that Maduro’s Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez, was sworn in as the interim president to maintain local governance.